I wake up before Jasper and move his arm off me heading to the bathroom. I take a shower wincing as the water runs across the burn still red and angry on my chest. I bite down on my lip and finish my shower quickly before dressing into a pair of causal dress pants and a polo, coming out of the bathroom just as I hear a knock on my door.

My eyes immediately flicker to Jasper still sleeping in my bed and I rush to the door pulling it open only slightly.

"Yes?"

My mom smiles at me.

"Beckett good morning, I was just coming to see if you and Jasper wanted to come to the club for breakfast with your father and I?"

I shake my head.

"no thank you, I would, but it was a long night and I think Jasper probably needs a break from everything"

My mom considers my words and nods.

"you're right.."

She turns towards Jasper's door.

"But perhaps I should still ask him?"

I rush from my room "no!.."

I quickly swallow realizing that was incredibly odd.

"I mean..no need, he's still sleeping and if he wants to go I'll bring him by in the jeep later"

My mom smiles and pats my arm.

"Sounds good honey I'll see you later then"

I give her a tense smile and watch as she walks down the stairs before rushing back into my room.

"Your mom?"

I jump at Jasper's voice.

"Y yeah"

He smirks and sits up stretching his arms successfully drawing my attention to his bare torso.

"You already shower?"

I rip my eyes away from his chest and quickly meet his own nodding awkwardly. My eyes follow his tongue as he licks his lips.

"should have waited, could have made it more fun" 

I bite my lip feeling conflicted, on one hand I want to go back to how Jasper and I were at the school. Flirty and happy, but this weekend has been a lot and I know I can't let my guard down, at least not until we're back at school.

I shake my head slowly and only mumble.

"Go shower"

His face falls slightly, but he gets up and walks over grabbing my shirt pulling me to him and pressing his lips to mine kissing me hard. Before pulling back and looking at me sadly.

"I hate how you are here"

He heads back to his room and my face falls I can only think; me too.

I make my bed and tidy up my room while Jasper showers and a little while later the doorbell rings. My entire body stiffens worried about who it's going to be, but the second Brody's voice echos through the foyer I'm put at ease.

"What the fuck you've got a maid?"

I cringe and walk down the stairs smiling at Loretta and telling her she doesn't need to wait on Derek or Brody.

"She's not a maid, she's the housekeeper"

Brody only blinks at me.

"this is your cottage, not your house"

I sigh explaining to him further.

"she comes back and forth with us"

Brody shakes his head "that's wild"

Derek rolls his eyes before nodding at me.

"you wearing that to the beach?"

I lift a brow "the beach?"

Just as I speak Jasper comes down the stairs behind me.

"Yeah, Preston and the guys are meeting us there in fifteen"

I bite my lip "oh yeah...I'll go change"

I head back upstairs and change into a pair of shorts, but leave my polo not wanting to risk a button up and someone seeing my burn.

I grimace at the thought, the beach isn't an ideal spot, but I know Jasper won't be happy if I cancel plans, he'd probably go without me and I can't leave Derek responsible for Brody and Jasper that wouldn't be fair.

When I get back downstairs Derek says he'll drive so I don't have to request permission to take the Jeep, and we're on our way. The beach is quite close and we honestly could have just taken the golf cart, but knowing Jasper's friends from home are coming I prefer Derek's truck.

We set up a spot on the beach with chairs and I make a face at all the people here. It's not a crazy amount, but most are people our age. People I know, people that judge.

Within two minutes of us being here Dawson Rivers walks over.

"Hey Beckett! Derek! How's it going?"

I nod politely.

"good Dawson, you? Still working at your dads law firm?"

He grins "of course gotta keep it in the family, dreams to become a partner"

I nod again "sounds great"

It really doesn't though, work in a law firm the rest of my life? That's not for me. He nods toward Brody and Jasper who both look like body guards standing behind us with their arms crossed.

"Make some new friends?"

The way his eyes scan up and down them distastefully pisses me off, but I only gesture to Brody and Jasper.

"They're Our mentees from the school, Jasper and Brody"

He makes a face.

"oh so this is like charity work?"

I clench my jaw and Jasper scoffs behind me. Derek always the one to swoop in and diffuse a situation shakes his head.

"No not like that, they're good guys"

Dawson knows better then to argue with Derek, but shakes his head.

"Haven't seen many 'good guys' come out of Balton's"

With that he turns back to his group of friends and jogs away.

Brody shakes his head.

"What an ass"

Derek shrugs.

"who cares Dawson's going to live in his dads shadow his whole life, he's not really winning"

Brody laughs at that, but Jasper just grunts. We finish setting up and a few minutes later Jasper's phone dings dragging his attention away from the group of us and he checks it nodding.

"Preston's here, guess he's getting shit in the parking lot"

I frown and Derek gives me a look as we all walk over to the parking lot to see what's happening.

As soon as we get there I bite my lip. Dawson and his friends are standing at the edge of the parking lot and the closer we get the more annoyed I am.

"Can't afford beach's in your neighbourhood?"

Preston scoffs and I grunt.

"What's the problem over here?"

Dawson turns and rolls his eyes.

"Don't come over here and try to save the day Beckett, you might have a soft spot for trailer trash now that you're working at Balton's, but try to remember your standards. We don't need trash on our beach"

I clench my fists "Dawson..."

One of the guys with Preston yells "it's a public fucking beach dude!" And Dawson narrows his eyes.

"open to the public around here..are you from around here? Your shoes say otherwise"

The group with Dawson all laugh at his lame joke and Derek shakes his head.

"Enough, he's right it's a public beach no matter where you live. It's a big beach just stay away from each other"

Dawson glares at Derek.

"you're kidding right? If we let one group of these...hoodrats come to our beach more will follow"

Dawson shakes his head and turns to me.

"Beckett you think your father would let you hang around with them?"

His eyes drift to Brody and Jasper and he scrunches up his face.

"I'm surprised he even lets you near them"

I can't help the glare that takes over my face, but before I can say anything I hear Jasper grunt behind me and I turn just in time to put my hand on his chest and stop him from lunging at Dawson.

"Jasper don't"

Dawson laughs.

"yeah wouldn't want to speed up your jail time"

Jasper shoves me away from him and within seconds a brawl between Dawsons friends and Jaspers has begun. I curse and turn to Derek who is mirroring my own expression.

What the fuck do we do?

Thankfully Brody just stays out of it and pretty quickly Dawsons friends realize they're not going to beat up a bunch of west side kids and everyone beaks away from each other.

Everyone except Jasper and Dawson. Brody darts forward and starts pulling Jasper off Dawson, but he struggles against him until Preston grabs his other arm and they pull him back.

"J chill"

Jasper scoffs and stalks off toward the beach Preston going after him. The rest of their friends follow and Dawsons friends help him up.

He glares yelling;

"I'm pressing charges you prick!"

Jasper only shoots him the finger over his head and I feel a headache start.

"Dawson please don't do that"

He glares at me.

"what shouldn't I?! He fucking attacked me"

Derek sighs.

"Dawson your provoked a delinquent from Balton's school, did you expect anything else?"

I see where Derek is going and nod along.

"Derek's right"

I can tell Dawsons beginning to feel stupid as he shuffles from foot to foot.

"Fine, but if I don't press charges you fucking owe me"

I groan inwardly.

"What do you want Dawson?"

He thinks about it for a minute before he smirks.

"Your wallet, I don't want your cards and shit obviously. I have my own, just the wallet I need a new one"

He takes out his own Louis Vouton wallet and pulls out a few credit cards before tossing it in the garbage as if to prove a point. We all know there's nothing wrong with his wallet.

I blink at him and almost immediately reject the offer. Derek almost goes ahead and does it for me, but instead I hold up my hand.

"Fine"

I slide my wallet from my pocket slowly and look at it in my hands. Rubbing my thumb over the J.C carved into the leather. I clench my jaw as I remove my cards and cash tucking them into my pocket and handing it over to Dawson who smirks.

"All is forgiven"

He grins and walks away, the second he does Derek turns to me.

"What the fuck? He would have taken something else! Why the hell would you give him.."

I shake my head "it's just a wallet Derek"

He glares "Jordan's wallet"

I clench my jaw tighter at his words. The reminder of what I've just given away.

"Jasper would have ended up in jail if Dawson pressed charges and you know it. You know who his fucking dad is"

Derek glares.

"what if he's going to end up there anyway?"

I snap "fuck you!"

I storm away from him and barely note that he storms off to the parking lot. Deep down...not even that deep I know Derek's right and just upset, but I wasn't willing to risk it.

I glare at the sand and look at Jasper and his friends in the water goofing around. They've already forgotten about the incident with Dawson, and now I'll never forget.

My eyes drift to Brody whose jogging toward me.

"Dude! His wallet still has $20 bucks in it and this things worth like fucking $400"

I grimace looking at Dawsons old wallet in his hand.

"did you take that out of the garbage?"

He gives me a look as if I should have known.

"Um yeah, who throws away a good fucking wallet?"

I shrug "I don't know Brody"

I just want to be left alone, but Brody doesn't know that and he's not doing anything wrong so I don't ask him to leave.

"What the fucks wrong with Derek? He acting all pissed off"

I nod "we had an argument, he'll be fine"

Brody shrugs "if you say so"

He jogs over to Jasper and his friends and It's then that I notice Jasper watching me, but I only turn away. I wander around the beach by myself for the next 20 mins or so and let myself calm down.

When I can finally stop thinking about Dawson and my wallet; Jordan's wallet. I walk back to where our chairs are set up and sit down.

Jasper, Preston, Brody, and a few of his other friends come up to the chairs and Brody grins.

"You swimming today?"

I shake my head and he pouts "why not?"

I feel awkward under the stares of Jasper's friends and shrug.

"Not feeling it todays Brody"

Brody groans.

"Oh c'mon Beck just one qui..."

Jaspers huffs.

"He said no Brody so piss off!"

Brody holds his hands up in surrender.

"Okayyy sorry"

Jasper only crosses his arms while Brody heads back to the beach the rest of Jasper's friends excluding Preston following.

Preston chuckles.

"dude chill, it's probably a good idea you could use some sun, at least take your shirt off and tan, no point wasting a good day"

I bite my lip when he says take my shirt off, not gonna happen after my father burned a cigar into me.

Jasper narrows his eyes.

"fucking leave it alone P!"

Preston rolls his eyes clearly used to Jasper's behaviour.

"Fine. Don't know what your problem is"

Preston shrugs looks at me.

"didn't mean anything by it"

I nod "all good"

He shrugs again at Jasper and head back to the water, Jasper however stays.

"What happened with Derek?"

I clench my hands into fists "nothing"

He glances down at my hands "looks like it"

I glare "drop it okay?"

He shakes his head and chuckles humourlessly.

"Whatever Beckett"

I watch his retreating back as he walks to the water pissed off. My headache turning into a full fledged migraine.

••
I meant to post this for you guys last night, but I was falling asleep while doing some light editing so here it is! Sorry for taking so long 🤍

Word count: 2284